Delaware's Forests 2008

Abstract

The fifth full inventory of Delaware's forests reports an 8 percent decrease in the area of forest land to 352,000 acres, which cover 28 percent of the State's land area and has a volume of approximately 2,352 cubic feet per acre. Twenty-one percent of the growing-stock volume is red maple, followed by sweetgum (13 percent), and loblolly pine (12 percent). All species of oaks combined account for 24 percent of the volume. Red maple is the most abundant species in terms of number of trees and the population had been rising through the 1980s and 1990s, but current data show little change since 1999. Oak species and loblolly pine decreased in numbers of trees and volumes. Seventy-three percent of forest land consists of large-diameter trees and 10 percent is in the small-diameter stand-size classes. Average annual growth as a percentage of total growing-stock volume increased from 2.3 to 3.9 percent between 1999 and 2008, while removals and mortality changed little. Additional information on forest attributes, land-use change, carbon, timber products, and forest health is presented in this report. A DVD included in the report provides information on sampling techniques, estimation procedures, a glossary, tables of population estimates, raw data, and a data summarization and reporting tool. AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to thank the many individuals who contributed both to the inventory and analysis of Delaware's Forests 2008 About the Authors ForewordOf all the natural resources in Delaware, forests play a key role in improving the quality of life of all Delawareans. Healthy, vigorous trees absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the atmosphere and in the process filter out pollutants, thus greatly improving our air quality. Forests protect watersheds thereby improving the quality of the water that we drink and the water that is so important to the health and functionality of natural ecosystems. Forests produce wood and other products that we use every day at work and in our homes. Many species of wildlife depend on forested habitats for survival. And forests provide every citizen with unique recreational opportunities along with aesthetic enjoyment and a general sense of well-being.With all these wonderful, natural benefits, it should be no surprise that the mission statement of the Delaware Forest Service is "to conserve, protect, and enhance Delaware's forests through education, management, and professional assistance." Protecting and conserving Delaware's remaining forest lands is of utmost importance. The 2010 Delaware Statewide Forest Strategy (Delaware Forest Service 2010) outlines a number of steps that our foresters, support staff, and cooperating partners will take over the next several years to 1) improve forest health and functionality; 2) help develop new forest markets; 3) encourage all forest landowners to practice sustainable forest management; and 4) expand public awareness and appreciation of the forests in Delaware. Our goals are measurable and attainabl...

Delaware Forests 2018

“…In 1999 an annual inventory system was implemented, wherein a percentage of plots were measured each year and an entire inventory cycle completed every 5 years. Previous annual inventories were completed in 2008 (Lister et al 2012), and 2013(Lister et al 2017. In 2014 FIA went from a 5-year cycle completing 20 percent of the plots annually to a 7-year cycle completing 14 percent of the plots annually.…”